June gloom for real: Unseasonable weather leads to 'summertime sadness' for many in SoCal

Having trouble concentrating? Getting projects done? You're not alone.

For a population used to the sun, the recent unseasonable weather is making people very aware of a depressive condition that usually affects people in more northern areas: seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD.

Living in Southern California, we've come to expect beautiful weather all year round. But the letdown of a sunless spring and June gloom is hitting many pretty hard.

"Sadness, with a little bit of irritability. And a little bit of anger, antsyness and anxiety," said Marwa Azab, an anxiety expert with California State University, Long Beach.

Summertime sadness are two words that shouldn't go together, but Azab said SAD, now officially known as major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern, is something local psychologists are starting to see more evidence of.

"You're overeating, usually carbs. Your sleeping patterns have changed, usually over sleeping, so it is difficult to wake up in the morning. And you are fatigued during the day," she said.

A clinical diagnosis would require seeing seasonal symptoms occur two years in a row.

Azab explained the lack of sunshine throws a monkey wrench into our circadian rhythm and our brain's ability to produce feel good hormones such as serotonin and cortisol.

"Women are more likely than men to be affected negatively, but by the seasonal changes," Azab said.

So what can you do? Despite the gloomy weather, take a nature walk, make time to see your friends in person or at least on zoom and check your vitamin D levels.

"If you're deficient in vitamin D, that can be related to depression, to sadness, to overeating, to lethargy," she said.

Azab's advice is to lean into the gloomy weather and try not to let it affect your children's mood. Teach them it can still be fun.

"Let's play out in the rain, you know. You know, nature looks different this week. Let's go check it out. When it's cloudy, the leaves are going to look different. The trees are going to look different. Make it fun and exciting," she said.

In other words, stay in a sunny state of mind.